[WSIS CS-Plenary] Upcoming Prepcom

[Taran Rampersad]

Robert Guerra wrote:

> hmmm.. can we start discussing and preparing for the coming prepcom?
>
> I posted some comments earlier and am keen to get people's comments.
>
Getting back to that (Snagged from beforehand):

> It is my view that in addition to an ongoing debate and/or discussion
> we need, we must also start focusing our attention on the coming
> prepcom...
>
> Here's my list of suggested list of items that I think we should start
> planning for:
>
>
> * A debriefing session for the different working groups and caucuses -
> Where each group could update each other on activities we've been
> involved in and the try to agree on objectives to achieve for Week 1 &
> 2 of the prepcom
>
> * Press Briefings -
> This was done very effectively at really only PrepCom 1 of the first
> phase. It would be good to organize a daily public press briefing
>
>
> * Meeting with the governments
> As in the past, I think it would be quite effective to try to arrange
> one or more meetings with the regional blocks such as the EU, Africa,
> GRULAG etc. For this it would be good to start planning already.
>
> * Building an online resource for the CS delegates .
> Given enough time - something we have now - an online resource of some
> kind could be setup so that not only do we know how to get in touch
> with each other, but also what our common positions and objectives are
> for the meeting.
>
> * Communications
> One of the issues that came up in this month's public voice
> teleconference is that we need to better share news and updates that
> are going on.
>
> I for one have started a blog to keep this caucus and others informed
> on my wsis activities. If you have a blog, or know others who do -
> please let me know so that I can feed them into the WSIS news section
> on my site.
>
> http://www.privaterra.org/activities/wsis/blog/
>
> I hope that by starting to plan now we can be more strategic and
> effective at the coming prepcom.
>
> I am keen to hear everyone's comments.

I'd like to see some more weblogs on these things. They allow for
transparency. This is the World Summit on *Information Society*, last
time I checked, and honestly it does seem as though things have become
more bogged down in the last WSIS - I followed through the Daily Summit
(a weblog; http://www.dailysummit.net/ ) as best I could. I would think
that Caucuses and Plenaries discussing technology would use the
technologies available. It's pretty hard to make excuses for that.

Well I've been working on the ARCTX (An evolution of ARC;
http://www.knowprose.com/ARC ) concept, Andy Carvin has been making
strides as noted here:
http://www.privaterra.org/activities/wsis/blog/blogs__wiki_s__wsis_and_open_source__.html

(Yes, Robert, I do read your weblog. It lacks an RSS feed, perhaps that
could be fixed? If you need help, let me know)

Funding is not an issue for weblogs. Neither are Wikis. Perhaps it's
time for people discussing technology to use it at the same level or
better than the private sector. I've been rather perturbed by the fact
that the average person doesn't know what is going on in WSIS.

The Civil Society Plenary, especially, should be doing this sort of thing.

In all, I think that there would be a lot of interest demonstrated on
the internet. That's sort of what this whole thing is about, I think.

My main weblog is at http://www.knowprose.com - I'm not a direct
participant, but as things unfold in the world I have a tendency to
write about them. Prepcom will be one of them, of course.

-- 
Taran Rampersad

cnd at knowprose.com

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